The invention relates to a process for producing pig iron or liquid primary steel products in a smelting unit, in particular a fusion gasifier, in which iron-ore-containing charge materials, in particular fine ore, and possibly additions, are at least partially reduced in at least one reduction unit by means of a reducing gas.
The invention also relates to an installation for producing pig iron or liquid primary steel products by the process according to the invention, with a smelting unit, in particular a fusion gasifier, and at least one reduction unit for reducing iron-ore-containing charge materials, and possibly additions, by means of a reducing gas formed in the smelting unit while carbon carriers, in particular coal, and oxygen-containing gas are supplied.
It is known from the prior art that pig irons or liquid primary steel products can be produced in a smelting reduction process. In particular, it is known to use reducing gas that is produced in a smelting unit while coal is supplied for reducing iron-containing ores.
To increase the efficiency of such installations, DE 44 21 673 discloses that the reducing gas formed in a fusion gasifier can be used in a treated form in a blast furnace, so that the export gas can be used and the efficiency of the process can be increased. It is disadvantageous in this case that the export gas has a high calorific value for the blast furnace, so that the efficiency of the process that is achieved is restricted. One object of the present invention is to increase further the efficiency of the process, with in particular the amount of coal that is necessary per tonne of pig iron or liquid primary steel products being lower, so that a smaller amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) occurs.
This object is achieved by the process according to the invention as claimed in claim 1 and by the apparatus thereof.